A majority of my efforts with glass in the last few years have been spent making ornaments. The sphere enclosing various various figures inside protects finer details from damage and dust.

Ornament Technique:  A sphere is first blown out of glass tubing, leaving a narrow tube attached to the bottom. The top of the sphere is opened and the figure is inserted. It is fused to the bottom of the sphere with a special torch tip. The opening is then gathered together and blown smooth. A loop for hanging is added to the top. The final step is to use a sharp flame to "cut" off the narrow tube at the bottom of the sphere. The finished ornament will then be heated to 1050° F in an annealing oven and allowed to cool slowly to relieve any stresses in the glass.